"I assure you, my friend, I felt like one a few minutes ago; but tell me, was I right in my surmise about your state of mind?"
"Your Excellency was right. We could never, however, part as enemies; and if we let you go before our chief regains his senses----" he shrugged his shoulders in a most expressive way.
"H'm! but we cannot remain here, can we? And you evidently would not care to take us with you as friends; of course, to these gentlemen and myself, the word friend means that we should never betray anything we might happen to learn. I might suggest, too, that men blindfolded would see nothing if led to some place carefully."
A gleam of satisfaction lit up his face.
"And would your Excellencies submit to that? It would be only for a few minutes."
"Oh yes, and I can answer for my friends."
I was desirous of following up this little adventure, for these men were no doubt almost driven to brigandage; and, if their demands could be satisfied, they might become useful allies and good citizens. I was already planning for the future.
We walked back to the others, and I informed them of what had been arranged. Carruthers treated it as a huge joke. He knew but a few words of Rudarlian, and proceeded to use them vigorously as we followed the litter.
We continued our course down the path, which after a little swerved into less close proximity to the valley below. Although still high up in the mountain, we were beginning to be able to distinguish the natural features of the panoramic landscape more clearly.
What struck us most was the absence of human habitations, for the valley looked as though it would be fertile, being well watered.